The 10 Most Powerful Biodiversity Images

Here we present 10 powerful biodiversity images.

A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. That may be true! Today we’re swamped with information. Images can say a lot with a little. That said, we’re in the digital revolution. So now we’re flooded with zillions of photos and memes. We like and tag images on social media. News websites have photos of current events. We share our own lives with selfies, food or pet pictures.

In today’s firehose of images are powerful stories about nature. Facts and figures are vital. But to connect with the widest audience we must nature’s story. Visual media are the most effective way to do that. Images transcend language. They evoke emotions in ways that words and data cannot. Human devastation, and our natural world’s fragility and beauty are best shown through biodiversity images like the ones you see here. Together they show human impacts on biodiversity, wildlife, the environment, and natural resources. Threats include global warming, deforestation, pollution and wildlife exploitation.

Help to tell the story of biodiversity

To help you share these stories, we’ve put together ten amazing images and graphics. We encourage you to share these images as widely as possible (including appropriate credit). It’s vital now more than ever to tell the story of biodiversity. It’s the only way we’re truly going to make a difference.

Act 1. Rise of the HordeA complex but elegant infographic summarizes human impacts on biodiversity.

Coral Reef BiodiversityThis composite of hundreds of photos shows the biodiversity in a cubic foot of coral reef in Moorea. (Photo credit: David Liitschwager)

Beautiful ExtinctionA red fan parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus accipitrinus) at the Houston Zoo. (Photo credit: Photo Ark, Joel Sartore)

Crossing the Rubicon, Lanzarote, SpainJason deCaires Taylor's haunting scenes of his underwater sculptures illustrate the poignancy and melancholy of marine biodiversity loss. This installation is called Crossing the Rubicon.

The death of two treesTwo forest giants are being systematically dismembered for who knows what use. Novo Progresso, Brazil.
Credit: Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino

Plastic is Choking Our OceansGreenpeace Philippines created and installed a giant whale art piece made out of plastic pollution. (Credit: Vince Cinches)

Biodiversity BurningAre we running toward our own destruction? This compelling image was produced as one of a series to highlight how humans are impacting the environment. (Credit: Robin Wood Foundation)

Tar Sand Mine, Alberta Tar Sands.Aerial photograph shows a small section of one of five huge tar-sand mines in the Alberta tar sands region in Canada. (Photo credit: Garth Lenz)

Glaciers: Fighting a Losing BattleAn Andes glacier completely disappears. This photo is one of the first direct views of the loss of a glacier. Top: Broggi Glacier in 1932 (top) and 2014 (bottom). (Photo credit: Braasch Photography and World View of Global Warming)

Raising awarenessTo promote the film Racing Extinction, artist Travis Threlkel projected images of endangered species onto the Empire State Building (Credit: Travis Threlkel)

In all cases, we have strived to provide appropriate credit to the creators and copyright holders. Please contact us if you recognize an image and additional or alternative attribution is required.